Daily Archives: September 21, 2020

LONGMONT, Colo., Sept. 21, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- A group of diverse athletes both able-bodied and adaptive from across the United States and Ecuador will join forces on September 25-27 on behalf of the non-profit Range of Motion Project (ROMP) to provide prosthetic care to amputees who do not have access. While the team's original goal was to summit Ecuador's 19,347-foot Cotopaxi volcano, the trip was postponed this year due to the COVID-19 pandemic. As they await their opportunity to climb Cotopaxi, the group has teamed up to collectively climb a total of 19,347 vertical feet in seven locations during a 48-hour climb-a-thon September 25-27.

"We are in a unique position to leverage our own mobility to help amputees receive prosthetic treatment and technology that they need to redefine their potential," said Founder and Executive Director Dave Krupa. "Even though our Cotopaxi climb is not happening this year, we still climb and will continue to climb for our patients. This is our mission."

Kyoto Botanicals is committed to making an impact and supporting this event to help increase access to devices that enable personal empowerment and hemp-based CBD products that help bring balance and harmony to body and mind. From September 25 to September 27, 2020, Kyoto Botanicals will donate 50% of net proceeds from sales at https://kyotobotanicals.com to ROMP to support their mission during this difficult year. With a goal of raising $19,347 for ROMP over the course of the weekend, Kyoto Botanicals looks to make a big impact in 2020 to help amputees without access to proper medical care unlock their potential.

"We are excited to combine our belief that nature provides us what we need to help live happy, healthy lives with ROMP's mission to increase the mobility, visibility, and dignity of those marginalized by lack of access to rehabilitative technology," said CEO Ron Morrow. "With this event, we will help people confront, cope with, and overcome the physical and mental barriers created by the loss of a limb."

About KYOTO BOTANICALS

KYOTO BOTANICALS delivers high quality CBD products to help bring harmony and balance to people's lives and positively affect the world around them. We believe in giving back to the community and are dedicated to building a brand that can impact local and global needs. Through our line of innovative hemp-based products, KYOTO BOTANICALS thoughtfully combines the finest ingredients in nature to deliver quality, consistency, and results from batch to batch. https://kyotobotanicals.com/

About ROMP

ROMP is a technology-based, nonprofit organization, which provides high quality prosthetic care in underserved populations, thus enhancing mobility and unlocking human potential. ROMP believes that prosthetic limbs are not simply medical devices, but instruments of personal empowerment. ROMP recognizes the dual hardships of living in poverty with a disability and stands in solidarity with those who are made to suffer from an unequal distribution of care. http://www.rompglobal.org

Media contact:Mark GIllilan[emailprotected]720-235-7755

SOURCE Kyoto Botanicals

http://www.kyotobotanicals.com

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We Still Climb - Kyoto Botanicals to Support Range of Motion Project's Adaptive Team as They Climb 19,347 Feet in 48-Hours to Help Patients in Need of...

Lovecraft Country's "Strange Case" title sequence teases the episode's twist about Christina's true nature with its reference to the butterfly.

The title sequence ofLovecraft Countryseason 1, episode 5,"Strange Case", teases the episode's twist about Christina's true nature with its reference to the butterfly. The episode opens with Ruby waking up as a white woman. After she looks in the mirror and tells herself to wake up, a silhouette of her face breaking up into a multitude of butterflies accompanies the show's title. It turns out that William has given her a potion to achieve this metamorphosis into a white woman. While this reference to the butterfly is obviously about Ruby and her transformations in the episode, it is also about Christina's transformation into William, who had originally been introduced as Christina's good friend.

Throughout the episode, Ruby and William's relationship develops in mysterious and tantalizing ways, not only because of their being lovers, but also because William has delivered on his claim that he can dramatically change Ruby's life. Masquerading as a white woman, Ruby is able to get a taste of white privilege, and it gives her a unique perspective about her personal achievements as a Black woman, and those of all Black women.

Related: Lovecraft Country: Episode 5's Clever Candyman Easter Egg Explained

At first, it seems that Ruby is becoming drunk on the power that William's magic potion gives her. However, as she begins to realize that this power can be used for more than her own personal gain, she ultimately uses it to get justice for her Black co-worker, who she witnessed being sexually assaulted by their white boss. Disguised as Hillary Davenport, her white alter ego, she quits her job and tricks her boss into playing a sexual game in which she wins in a very gruesome and well-deserved way.

The title sequence of "Strange Case" teases the episode's twist because of its reference to the butterfly, a beautiful winged creature known for its metamorphic life cycle. However, the reference is not just about transformation. Before a butterfly morphs into its adult form, it is a caterpillar; and while caterpillars are beautiful in their own ways, they are not able to fly. Only when it becomes a butterfly does it have that power. Therefore, the butterfly reference is not only about changing one's shape and color, it is about empowerment.

William's promise was that he could give Ruby the power to do whatever she wanted. At first, Ruby takes this to be about attaining her personal desires. When she has a conversation with Christina (Abbey Lee), whom she still believes to be William's good friend, she realizes that his promise was about obtaining real power, not about the granting of superficial wishes. This butterfly-as-empowerment metaphor teases the twist ending because power is what Christina has been seeking throughout the show.

Read this article:

Lovecraft Country: How The Title Sequence Teased Episode 5's Twist - Screen Rant

At least 12 of the 77charities and non-profits awarded COVID-19 assistance grants in July by the mayor of the District of Columbia have yet to receive the money. A News-4 I-Team investigation finds some of the $10 million in promised Hope Grants has yet to be delivered, two months after the funding was announced.

The grants were announced in early summer as a program partnering with non-profit organizations to help provide personal protection equipment, social distancing measures and other public health awareness, such as connecting residents to testing sites. But the delays in delivering the grant money to organizations has stalled and imperiled some of the programs, the I-Team found.

This was supposed to be an emergency grant.This is a problem, said Taylar Nuevelle, a spokeswoman and volunteer for Empower DC, a non-profit which provides supplies and education programs for low-income Washington, D.C. residents.

Empower DC applied for the grants in May and was formally awarded $50,000 on July 1 by the office of DC Mayor Muriel Bowser. Nuevelle said the money was earmarked to buy personal protective equipment, including hand sanitizer and masks, for homeless and low-income families.

We would provide thermometers, take temperatures and give them education. We would do things to limit the spread of Covid, Nuevelle said.She and other officials with Empower DC said the money was expected to arrive by mid-July. Two months later, the funding has not yet been provided, according to Empower DC.

Nuevelle said the organization remains in contact with the office of the DC mayor, but have not yet been told why funding is delayed.

A News-4 I-Team review found at least eleven other organizations have not received their Hope Grant funding either as of this past weekend, including Palisades Village, a program supporting seniors in DC. A spokeswoman said the organization was awarded the grant to organize and operate workshops needed to educate seniors about the virus and provide protection.

Palisades Village executive director Andrea Saccoccia said, Its been a little bit of a problem to order some our equipment, because we dont have the money to buy PPE and get the mailings out.Its money we were hoping we were gonna get. Were hopeful this money is coming through very soon. The center was notified on Monday it had received the funding.

Neuvelle and Saccoccia told the I-Team they had completed all necessary application and grant paperwork and had not experienced delays in receiving DC grants in prior years.

The DC Mayors office declined requests for an interview to explain why some organizations have experienced delays in receiving Hope Grant funds. In a written statement, a spokeswoman said, "The Bowser Administration is grateful to our community partners for helping engage our vulnerable populations with resources to address COVID-19, as well as services and guidelines. A total of 77 community partners were selected for the DC Hope grants; of which to date, 65 have been approved for payment. We continue to work with the remaining 12 organizations to ensure their required information is received by the DC Office of Contracting and Procurement.

The $10 million in DC Hope Grants are funded by the $2.2 trillion federal CARES ACT relief program approved by Congress in the Spring. It is administered by the DC Mayors Office of Community Affairs.

While announcing the program in May, Mayor Muriel Bowser said the funding is for community partners to spread the word about testing. The success of all of these programs will help us, Bowser said.

Some of the other organizations awarded grants told the I-Team they have received at least some of the funds.

A spokeswoman for DC Homes for Hope said, We were indeed honored to have been selected by the Mayor's Officefor this opportunity. We have had continuous support from DC Hope since being awarded and look forward to a long relationship with the team.

A spokesman for the Anacostia Coordinating Council said his organization has begun using its grant funding for COVID-19 outreach programs.

The Asian-American Youth Leadership Empowerment and Development group of DC said grant funding has been provided for the program. A spokesperson said the organization will use the grant to serve low-income families.

Reported by Scott MacFarlane, produced by Rick Yarborough, shot by Jeff Piper and edited by Lance Ing.

Link:

DC Charities Say They Have Yet to Receive Promised Coronavirus Assistance Grants - NBC4 Washington

Dior has launched a campaign to promote the education and empowerment of women and youth, in partnership with the Charlize Theron Africa Outreach Project, or CTAOP. The South African actress, producer, Dior muse and face of its Jadore fragrance founded the charity in 2007 to support organizations that work to help the younger generations, many of them women, of sub-Saharan Africa.

Today, Parfums Christian Dior reveals the financial support of one of CTAOPs initiatives, aiding the organizations upcoming 2021 cohort from its youth leaders scholarship program. The project, launched in 2018 with the UCLA Center for World Health, provides university students four years of tuition fees, lodging, books, travel costs, a laptop and mentorship.

What we dream of is to have a generation of young leaders cultivated through the young leaders scholarship program, CTAOPs executive director Ashlee George told WWD. George began working as Therons personal assistant before overseeing the charity in 2009. What would be incredible and what were trying to build isa network of alumni through this program[a] cycle [where] they go through this program, gain skills, continue to build the ability to make the change they want to see and then bring that back to their community and execute.

Dior has simultaneously unveiled a series of promotional videos titled #Diorstandswithwomen featuring interviews with passionate and committed women who make an impact on the world, according to the house.

The group includes Theron, as well as English model, actress and face of Dior beauty Cara Delevingne; Chinese actress Li Bingbing; Iranian actress Golshifteh Farahani; Mexican actress Yalitza Aparicio; New Zealand dancer and choreographer Parris Goebel; American plus-size model Paloma Elsesser; actress, American model, dancer and transgender activist Leyna Bloom; Congolese photographer Pamela Tulizo; French flower producer for Dior Carole Biancalana, and Italian professor Marina Cavazzana, a pioneer in gene therapy.

Story continues

To mark the news, in an exclusive interview with WWD, Theron discusses CTAOPs history, her evolving partnership with Dior, the latest on her upcoming TV and film projects including the Atomic Blonde sequel and her thoughts on COVID-19s impact on Hollywood.

WWD: What made you want to start CTAOP back in 2007 and how has its mission evolved?

Charlize Theron: I grew up in South Africa during a time when the HIV and AIDS crisis was taking over my country, and I was watching people in my community die on a daily basis. It really shook me to my core, so when I got to a place where I could give back in a significant way, I knew I wanted to do something to help in the fight against HIV and AIDS and also invest in the health and empowerment of the next generation. Over the years, we have grown and partnered with grassroots programs that educate, empower and invest in young people in order to keep themselves and their communities safe, and also for these youth to be able to shape the futures they want for themselves and the world. Today we have 13 program partners across three countries in sub-Saharan Africa, and [the] youth leaders scholarship program just selected our third cohort of young students who will start university in 2021.

WWD: What can you share about Christian Dior Parfums support of CTAOP and how it will impact CTAOPs goals?

C.T.: Christian Dior Parfums has been supporting my foundations work for years. When the #Diorstandswithwomen project took shape, its values aligned with CTAOPs mission. The stories of these women who want to use their incredible talents to enhance our world and want to pass on their experience and their passion onto others is exactly what we are trying to do with CTAOP and more specifically with the new, youth leaders scholarship program. This educational program is aimed at helping the budding leaders of tomorrow, who are more often than not young girls. By covering full study costs for the entire 2021 year cohort, Dior Perfumes is walking this journey with CTAOP to invest in a better future. Together, we will be able to help these exceptional young people spread their wings, and I cant wait to see what they do. It is a source of immense pride and great hope for the future that we share, together.

WWD: What has made you want to continue your partnership with Dior, as a face of the house and a collaborator?

C.T.: Being the face of such an iconic perfume as Jadore for more than 15 years has been such an honor, and Dior has been such a collaborative and supportive partner. Its been an ideal match, since so much of what Dior stands for and behind really resonates for me. In particular, the celebration of women and the incredible talent, passion and altruism of women. The empowerment inherent in #Diorstandswithwomen and #Diorchinup [as the project is also known] are the values that I, and all of us at CTAOP, also believe strongly in. And Jadore has also always embodied these same values in a natural way. Im so proud to have collaborated on so many incredible campaigns and looking forward to continuing this beautiful tradition.

WWD: Women and youth empowerment are among the commitments of this project with Dior. What are the biggest challenges youve experienced when it comes to backing and providing aid for these causes?

C.T.: One of the biggest challenges is that women and youth both still face so much inequity and discrimination, and so, [they] are particularly vulnerable. When we started CTAOP, for example, we saw that so many of the areas we were working in werent providing young people with accurate or comprehensive sexual and reproductive health information. They also had limited access to health services, compared to adult members of their community. Globally, we need to do a better job at inclusivity, that goes for more than just access to health services, and knowledge. We need to make more room at the table to hear the voices of young people, particularly young women and to make sure we are helping to provide them the tools and skills they are telling us they need and want.

WWD: Ashlee George said youve always had a vision for helping and investing in others. How can we all work to come together for social causes, stay optimistic for ourselves and future generations, particularly given the state of the world today, with COVID-19, the impacts of climate change, seemingly rising political tensions? How have you stayed positive yourself?

C.T.: Im not going to lie, its tough to stay positive right now. But the second we lose hope, we lose the fight. It does no one any good to give up and give in. What has kept me optimistic during this time is seeing how fired up and committed the younger generation is right now. Seeing their response to things like climate change or political causes is actually making me excited for the future for once. Say what you want about young people, but I truly have a feeling we have an incredible generation of voters, activists and changemakers rising up right now. And because of that, it makes me ever more committed to support causes that invest in young people, and I encourage everyone whos feeling down about the future to do the same.

WWD: What are some of your current and upcoming projects in the works as a producer and actress what excites you?

C.T.: Well, weve had a lot of time during this pandemic to line up some projects and bulk up our development slate, so theres actually quite a few things Im itching to get going post-COVID-19. At my production company, we have the Atomic Blonde sequel in development, which I am incredibly excited for, along with a few other film projects. On the TV side, we have an awesome mix of projects coming down the pipeline. [I] cant really talk about anything quite yet, but just know weve got everything from drama, comedy, sequels, reality. 2021 is hopefully going to be a fantastic year for us, if we can get our st together with COVID-19.

WWD: How has it been seeing COVID-19s impact on Hollywood and how do you see it affecting the industry of filmmaking moving forward?

C.T.: Its been heartbreaking seeing the amount of jobs and livelihoods lost during this pandemic, and I am really hoping that we can rebuild from this quickly and get all of these people back to work. Obviously things are going to change and have changed, going back into production. I think one good thing that will come from this is making people a bit more conscientious about health and safety on film sets. And in terms of the industry as a whole, you know, obviously the past few months everyone has been streaming things at home exclusively, and yes people will continue to stream content in huge amounts post-COVID-19. I mean, I love watching movies from my bed, dont get me wrong. But I really dont think traditional moviegoing or theaters are dead. I think a lot of people really crave community experiences right now, and I think when it can be done in a safe way, people will return to those communal entertainment spaces again. Well just have to figure out the best way from streaming and theaters to coexist in a healthy way, which a lot of companies are working toward anyway.

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EXCLUSIVE: Charlize Theron on Her Charitys Partnership With Dior, Sequel to Atomic Blonde and More - Yahoo Lifestyle

Africa, Armed Conflicts, Crime & Justice, Development & Aid, Economy & Trade, Education, Gender, Gender Violence, Headlines, Health, Human Rights, Humanitarian Emergencies, Inequity, Peace, Sustainability, TerraViva United Nations

Opinion

Mabingue Ngom, Regional Director, West and Central Africa Region, UNFPA and Shoko Arakaki, Director of Humanitarian Office, UNFPA

NEW YORK, Sep 21 2020 (IPS) - The countries of Central SahelBurkina Faso, Mali, and Nigerface an unprecedented crisis, marked by violent extremism, forced displacement, and rising insecurity. The sharp increase in armed attacks on communities, health centres, schools and other public institutions and infrastructure has disrupted livelihoods and access to social services. The impact on affected people is devastating.

As the international community responds to the crisis, we must meet immediate needs, and invest in long-term development. We must also work on shaping peace together, the theme of this years International Peace Day.

In Central Sahel, shaping peace together requires the full participation of women and young people. Engaging, employing, and empowering women and young people offers the best hope for peace, stability and recovery.

While the responses to address this complex crisis to date have centred on humanitarian and military interventions, collective investments are required simultaneously in all sectors including humanitarian response, economic and social development, and peacebuilding to foster a sustainable and resilient society.

As a priority, governments and partners must take action to reduce massive human suffering. It is important not to lose sight of the centrality of protection in our collective response to this crisis. Of 63 million people, more than 13 million, about 1 of 5, need humanitarian assistance. More than 1.5 million people are displaced, fleeing from non-state armed groups in the Central Sahel region and from neighboring countries, and violence is taking a massive toll.

Assistance is needed to address gender-based violence, lack of basic health services, growing food insecurity, rising poverty, and COVID-19. In Central Sahel, as in countries around the world, women and girls bear a disproportionate impact during crises, and face increased risks of sexual exploitation and abuse. During COVID-19, reports of violence against women are rising.

Given overstretched health systems and health worker capacity, it is vital that frontline responders are equipped with personal protective equipment to prevent the spread of COVID-19, respond to the needs of survivors, and provide much needed services.

An estimated 12 million girls in the Sahel are out of school due to the pandemic, which puts them at greater risk of sexual assault, child marriage, and early pregnancy, according to the Sahel Womens Empowerment and Demographic Dividend (SWEDD) programme.

Launched by the United Nations and the World Back Group in response to a call made by Sahel governments, the ambitious SWEDD programme, led by UNFPA with the West Africa Health Association and partners, is a benchmark initiative to reduce gender inequality and convert population growth into an economic dividend.

To move forward, the vulnerabilities and violations of women, adolescents and youth affected by the crisis must be addressed to avoid a disaffected and dependent generation, from which to draw young people (and young men in particular) to armed groups and extremism.

It is time for collective action to put women and young people at the center of efforts, support social reform, and invest in social services while responding to the pandemic. Dynamic partnerships between governments and humanitarian agencies could provide women and young people with opportunities and support protection, health including sexual and reproductive health, and education.

Enabling women and youth to develop their skills, receive training, and earn an income would foster social cohesion, reduce economic dependency and extreme poverty, and promote peace, resilience and recovery in a more sustainable manner. Building more inclusive and healthy communities diminishes risks such as early marriage and early and unintended pregnancy.

Enabling women and young people to become self-sufficient creates an atmosphere of ownership and empowerment.

To drive progress, there is a need to develop economic incentives for private sector companies to employ young people, including young women. A strong partnership with the private sector will allow governments to spur innovation, progress, and a more diverse funding base supporting longer-term youth employment strategies. A win-win with young people is one where companies can find a balance between philanthropy and business, and young people can achieve financial goals and independence as they transition into adulthood.

To succeed, the governments of Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger should lay the institutional and structural foundation for youth employment by promoting programmes and partnerships for skills training and establishing small and medium-sized enterprises. This is especially important in remote communities to benefit young people and the communities in which they live.

Efforts should reflect the rights, and drive to self-determination and economic prosperity, of young women and men, and promote gender equality, social cohesion, and access to quality health services and care, including psychosocial support and family planning.

Given growing funding constraints, the UN system must demonstrate new and innovative ways of working and efficiency in doing more with less. A complementary humanitarian, development and peacebuilding approach is the only way to address the complexities of the Central Sahel crisis. Investments across these three pillars can address immediate needs, root causes, and fund efforts to build back better with women and young people at the centre.

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Central Sahel - Shaping peace together with women and young people Statement for International Peace Day - Inter Press Service

On Thursday, Sept. 17, Kean's Pan-African Student Union (P.A.S.U.), along with the National Pan-Hellenic Council and National Council of Negro Women, Inc., held a virtual student panel, where participants had personal conversations about racial identities from 3:30 to 5:30 p.m. on Zoom.

Diversity Speaks: The Black and Brown Experience provided students a way to have their voices heard on issues pertaining to ethnic disparities.

This open forum gave students the confidence to speak their hearts in a comfortable space where courage was welcomed and support was given. The Diversity Speaks platform has a goal of educating the community on diversity through a series of student-led discussions.

"We want to change Kean University for the better," said Malcom Moreira, president of P.A.S.U. "This event was needed to express our thoughts and feelings."

When asked about the event's turnout, Moreira was confident of the outcome.

"It turned out well. During this event, we made all the problems on campus well known. Our organization went through the problems, spoke about them with everyone giving their opinions," continued Moreira. "Our moderator mediated the discussion correctly by letting all participants express themselves freely."

Malcom gave a bit of insight on how the forum was put together.

"The Black and Brown Experience had so much planning. Taylor Williams came up with the idea," Moreira continued. "She helped us so much. Taylor is a professional and understands the experience that comes with being a person of color in her field. It gets difficult."

Moreira mentioned that President Lamont Repollet, Ed. D., the 18th leader of the university, stopped by.

"He spoke at the event by saying that he is doing his best to make the university as great as it was," said Moreira.

Kean P.A.S.U. is doing its due diligence by fortifying the university's title of the most diverse campus in the nation.

"Our organization is working to assist students of color on campus along with showcasing black excellence," Moreira mentioned. "Exposing the student body to our history, consisting of various cultures, lets them know that we are all connected."

Moreira feels such events such as The Black and Brown Experience is crucial to student development.

"Having these events that are based on our culture and history will help students of color understand where they're going," said Moreira.

The Pan-African Student Union is a cultural organization at Kean that unites all students of African descent with the knowledge of self by providing empowerment through its programs and events.

More information about P.A.S.U. can be found on Cougar Link. For any questions, comments or concerns, P.A.S.U. can be emailed at pasu@kean.edu.

Read the original post:

A Discussion About the Black and Brown Experience - The Cougar's Byte

BACKGROUND

Triggerise is registered in Kenya under the Kenya Companies Act with a Certificate of Registration Number PVT/2016/025180 dated September 16th, 2016 as a subsidiary of Triggerise BV.

Triggerise Kenya Limited has its main office in Nairobi but carries out its operations in various counties in the Republic of Kenya.

Consulting services are being sought by Triggerise Kenya Limited from a recognized consultant to undertake mapping of Technical Vocational and Education (TVET) institutions and health facilities in the counties of Nairobi, Mombasa and Kisumu within sub-counties Triggerise implements programs in.

1. SCOPE OF WORK (SOW)

This SOW is being developed to support the implementation of a youth empowerment program focused on improving sexual and reproductive health outcomes and social-economic well being of the youth within informal settlements in Nairobi, Mombasa and Kisumu

The main aim of the assignment is to ensure that Triggerise Kenya Limited does a market landscape mapping of all NITA accredited TVET institutions and master craftsmen and health facilities(Public, faith-based and private clinics and pharmacies) within specific sub-counties within the areas of program implementation. The mapping will include assessment of the services and products available at the facilities in line with the project deliverables, capacity of the institution based on client flow or student capacity, updated premise license and accreditation (NITA for TVET, NHIF for health facilities) confirmed interest in participating in the program and facility contact person details. We expect accurate geography mapping with GPS coordinates for all facilities and individual mastercraftsmen and defined by county, sub-county and civic ward. The following are the expected outputs of this consultancy:

Mapped NITA accredited TVET institutions offering project courses.

Mapped NITA accredited mastercraftsmen offering project courses

Mapped health facilities , both public, faith based and private(including franchise network members) offering project SRH services

Mapped private pharmacies offering project SRH services

Mapping of public facilities should cover all public hospitals, dispensaries and sub-county hospitals. The private and public clinics mapping should be split into three categories;

a) Category 1- Franchised clinics which include Tunza Clinics, Amua Clinics, MSK clinics, FHOK clinics & any other (most of these are branded from outside with the franchise colours)

b) Category 2- Individually owned clinics- Any other Private Clinic located in the areas of interest which meets criteria 3 above.

c) Category 3- Public and faith based facilities in the areas of interest

The mapping exercise will require picking GPS coordinates for all health facilities and pharmacies as above

Drawing their position/locations on a map with a colour ramp showing the different categories

Location of services

2. TECHNICAL REQUIREMENTS

The qualified firm should exhibit the following:

Demonstration of experience and expertise of similar assignment with similar organizations by availing a personal/company profile.

Provide an activity plan of actions to achieve the objectives of the assignment, specifying budgeted hours, timelines and sequence for its consultancy procedure and level of staff to be assigned;

Incorporating a brief CV's of the proposed professional staff of the core management team for the engagement and the authorized representative submitting the proposal. CVs should demonstrate relevant experience in mapping works

List of current and past clients where the bidder carried mapping exercise along with the name of the organization, contact person, designation, and a contact number,

Registration Certificate if a company

Other relevant Certificates

3. EVALUATION CRITERIA

Proposals will be evaluated in two parts.

The technical proposal weighted at 70%

Financial proposal weighted at 30%

Proposals should make clear about the relevant skills, experience and capacity of the participant, in respect of this particular SOW. It must contain the details of the proposed approach to be adopted in order to deliver the service in accordance with the SOW. Proposals should clearly indicate whether or not bid participants have the capacity to meet the requirements of the SOW

Functionality evaluation criteria

1. Experience, Skills and Ability of consultant

This will include

Past experience in similar work of this nature.

Team member experience (accompanied by brief CV's).

Bidders track record.

The ability of the bidder to fulfil the requirements

Score: 40

2. Technical Approach and Execution Plan

Proposals must contain the details of the proposed approach to be adopted in order to deliver the service in accordance with the TOR. The proposal should contain a work plan, showing tasks and timelines. Did the bidder submit clear proposed timelines for this engagement?

Score: 30

3. Financial Capacity

Proposals should clearly indicate whether or not bid participants have

the financial capacity to meet the requirements of the TOR based on

the previous value of similar work done.

Score: 30

Terms of performance for the services

The consultant will be required to provide a report to the management of Triggerise on the work accomplished. This will be in the form of the management report and will specifically include the following:

The final presentation of maps for all the above outputs

GPS coordinates for all health facilities mapped

Originally posted here:

MAPPING OF TVET (TECHNICAL AND VOCATIONAL EDUCATION AND TRAINING) INSTITUTIONS AND HEALTH FACILITIES - ReliefWeb

Once a year, as part of its programme of activities, Circostrada tends to organise a professional field trip outside Europe, so as to foster international collaborations between European and non-European key players in the circus and street arts fields. As such, in recent years, the network members have been able to connect with professionals from Japan, Korea, Ethiopia, and Mexico[1].

Indeed, back in 2018, Circostrada and Fekat Circus jointly organised a dedicated seven-day programme for the networks members in Ethiopia. Fifteen delegates came to Addis Ababa to take part in the second edition of the African Circus Arts Festival, an initiative that gathered many circus professionals from all over the African continent. A rich and intense week of meetings and artistic shows in Addis Ababa allowed Circostrada and Ashara[2] members alike as well as several artistic companies invited to the festival to get to know each other better, engage first-hand with current contemporary challenges in both Europe and Africa, and create a space for fair cooperation. As a concrete result, a bountiful series of exciting projects between Ethiopia and many European countries France, Spain, UK, Sweden, Finland, Netherlands to name a few stemmed out from this trip: artistic collaborations, capacity development activities, peer-to-peer exchanges, and more. Very recently, back in March 2020 during the last edition of the RICAs and in the frame of an activity co-organised by the RICAs[3], MASA[4] and Circostrada several African organisations decided to launch the creation of an African federation for the development of circus arts and Fekat Circus was the first Ethiopian member to join such organisation.

Following this professional journey to Ethiopia, the network decided to produce a short field report with the intent to inform all its members of the meetings and discussions held during this one-week trip and more largely to create a tool capable of starting conversations and engaging in future collaborations. The publication that came out and which is available free of charge in both English and French was however never intended as an academic research paper presenting a broad, exhaustive or conclusive panorama of the history of Ethiopian circus. The report among other pieces of information and knowledge humbly provides a glimpse into the history of circus arts in Ethiopia and its most recent development, while especially focusing on the role and actions of Fekat Circus, one of the most dynamic key players in the field and a member of the network.

Two years later, two circus professionals and agents based in Australia and operating in Ethiopia Jasmine Straga and Sosina Wogayehu felt and claimed this publication was not reflecting the richness and diversity of Ethiopian circus arts, pointing out some sensible issues that were not understood or acknowledged in the report, but also promoting their own stories and experiences since these were not portrayed in this publication. Thus, two open letters were simultaneously shared on their personal Facebook profiles, as well as on the Circademics Facebook group, a space dedicated to anyone interested in the nexus of circus arts and academic inquiry; subsequently their open letters were also published on the CircusTalk website. Sadly enough, the coordinator of Circostrada Network never received those letters directly and was only informed by CircusTalk about their existence. One cannot help but wonder about the ethical bases for such behavior and also about the strategic time in which these open letters were published. As a matter of fact, a mere week later, a project aiming at developing two venues dedicated to circus arts in Ethiopia was shared online by the very same people who wrote these open letters.

These two texts contain many serious and unfounded accusations against Circostrada that the network clearly refutes; moreover, these allegations represent an offense to the network ethics and values. It must also be stated that it was never the intention of the network to silence voices or rewrite histories. Since then, Circostrada has carefully proceeded to a review of these claims and the network will take into consideration some of the sensitive issues that were brought up and will also address certain inaccuracies and omissions by updating the current publication. It goes without saying that this work will be done in close collaboration with Fekat Circus, the co-organiser of this activity back in 2018.

Out of sheer clarity, it should be noted, however, that the article that concentrated the most negative and aggressive critiques was written by a young and talented woman Sarah Bushra who is a multidisciplinary artist from Ethiopia, as well as a creative worker; back in 2018 she was also the creative communication officer of Fekat Circus. Circostrada will not silence her voice or her name, for that matter as suggested in these open letters, but will have editorial notes added to her text to avoid any further misleading arguments.

Beyond the content of the publication itself or the reactions it spurred, one might argue that it is often a troubling sign when the safe space for the plurality of voices and the diversity of opinions feels no longer safe; or when stories are pitted one against the other, as if presenting one would inevitably invalidate the other, however valuable this other story may be. In line with the values it embodies, Circostrada and its members consistently strive to ensure openness and diversity and to provide a fertile ground for discussion, exchange of experiences and mutual growth. Very much aware that living up to these values is an on-going collective process as individuals, organisations, and sectors as a whole the network stays open to constructive criticism and true open dialogue. Most importantly, the core mission of Circostrada is and will always be to further the development, empowerment and recognition of circus arts and street arts at European and international levels.

[1] Due the current pandemic, this last field trip was transformed into a full digital experience.

[2] Ethiopian network of contemporary circuses created in April 2017 by 6 Ethiopian circuses: Circus Arbaminch, Circus Bahar Dar, Circus Debre Berhan, Circus Dire Dawa, Circus Hawassa, and Fekat Circus.

[3] Rencontres Interculturelles du Cirque dAbidjan.

[4] March des Arts du Spectacle dAbidjan.

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Related content: Two Open Letters about the State of Ethiopian Circus

Since 2003, Circostrada Network works to develop and structure the fields of Circus and Street Arts in Europe and beyond. With more than 100 members from over 30 countries, it contributes to build a sustainable future for these sectors by empowering cultural players through the production of resources and actions of observation and research, professional exchanges, advocacy, capacity-building and information.

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Statement from Circostrada in Response to the Open Letters of Jasmine Straga and Sosina Wogayehu - CircusTalk